Bicycle accessory



Aug. 25, 1936. A C AR 2,051,823

I BICYCLE ACCESSORY 7 Filed Nov. 26, 1935 INVENTOR /V 0 A MA/v/L (ZAP/rs QWMMZ ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 25, 1936 ATEN'E ori ice BICYCLE ACCESSORY Norman A. Clarke, Westfield, Mass., assignor to The Westfield Manufacturing Company, Westfield, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 26, 1935, Serial No. 51,658

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an improved box construction for assembly with a bicycle frame. It is intended to hold electric batteries, for example, and may be considered as a battery box. It is common to provide a tank-like structure hung from the top bar of a bicycle frame. It usually simulates the gasoline tank of a motorcycle. But on a bicycle it is used as a box. Prior art structures of. this type for bicycles, by their holding clips and other constructional features such as the door in the side and its seam, give a cluttered appearance to the bicycle. The frame and the battery box are not related to give a built-together appearance.

A main object of my improvement is to provide a bicycle box for battery use which will merge with the construction of the frame to such an extent as to give a built-in appearance to the combination. I accomplish this by locating certain of the constructional features of the box with relation to the bicycle frame parts so that such features are effectively hidden.

The way I accomplish this and other objects will now be fully disclosed and pointed out in the claim.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a side view of the tank in place and attached to the bicycle frame;

Fig. 2 is a section substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged fragmentary views taken on lines 33 and 4-4 of Fig. 1, showing the method of attaching the tank to the frame.

Referring to Fig. 1, the tank I is shaped to fit snugly along the top bar 2 of the frame, the ends being rounded at 3 and 4 to provide a. smooth streamline appearance. Louvres 6 are provided near the front end of the tank for decoration or for emission of the sound from the horn. The tank is secured to the head post I by clips best shown in Fig. 4 and the tail post 8 by clips best shown in Fig. 3, thus leaving the top bar 2 entirely unencumbered by the customary loops for securing such a tank. The only projection that breaks the outer surface of the tank I is the handle I I which locks the tank when in a closed position.

Referring to Fig. 2, the tank I, which in crosssection is roughly the shape of an inverted pear, is made .of two halves I4 and I5 hinged at the bottom at I6 and abutting at I! underneath bar 2 of the frame. Liner 20 is spot welded to member I5 near the edge II, providing a lip 2| extending underneath the member I4 and fitting closely against the under surface thereof, all

along the seam I I, strengthening the parts I4 and I5 at their abutting edges and forming an inner wall to keep dirt and moisture from penetrating through the seam I'I. Battery clips I8 holding a battery 35 are spot welded to member 5 I5 at I9.

Halves I4 and I5 are held together by a locking mechanism comprising a clip 25 spot welded at it to member I5 and having a lip 21 which coacts with lip 28 of a latch 29. Latch 29 is provided 10 with a pivot 30 which passes through the wall of member l4 and is operated by handle II.

Referring to Fig. 1, a horn 35, which may be secured to the inside of the tank in any convenient manner, is connected by wire 3? to battery 15 36, and wire 38extends from the tank and connects to a horn button located at any desired place on the bicycle. The halves (see Fig. 1) I4 and i5 are split along the line It from the ends 40 of the hinge I6 so that when the latch 29 is 20 disengaged by turning handle II, the tank will open horizontally, giving complete access to horn 35 and battery 36.

It is clear from the description and drawing that seam It lies under bar 2 and is concealed 5 at the ends by tailpost 8 and head post I.

Referring to Fig. 3, the rear end 3 of the tank has a clip 40 welded to member I5 at 4|, the clip 40 extending for a short arc around the tail post 8. Clip 42 cooperates with clip 40 at 43 and 30 screw 44 passes through clip 42 and is tightened into clip 40, thus providing a clamp at this point.

Referring to Fig. 4, clip 45 is welded to member I5 of the tank at 46 and fits against the head post I, contacting the periphery for a short arc. Clip 35 49 coacts with clip 45 at 47 and screw 48 passes through clip 49 and tightens into clip 45.

The construction of the end clamps as shown, when tightened, will result in enough endwise pressure against the tank to Wedge the tank in 40 place and hold it without requiring the clamps to embrace the head post and seat post more than a short distance.

Inasmuch as member I5 only is attached to the head and tail posts, member I4 acts as a door and I15 is free to swing open as previously described. Also, by supporting the tank at the ends, and hiding the seam I'I completely, the symmetry of the entire construction is aided.

I claim: 50

An accessory box for mounting within the confines of a bicycle frame which comprises two elongated, outwardly curved half'box members hinged together along their lower edges, the upper edges of said halves abutting when the box is closed, the upper surface of the box conforming in longitudinal profile to the under surface of the top bar of the bicycle frame, two forked clamps secured one at each end of the box to respectively engage and partially surround the head post bar and the seat post bar of the frame, said clamps each Comprising opposed members and means to draw said members together to wedge the box tightly between the head post bar and the seat post bar with the abutting upper edges of the box substantially in contact with and masked by the under face of the top bar of the frame when the box is closed, the forward portion of the lower that half from beneath the top bar to open the box. 7 I

NORMAN A. CLARKE. 

